This article explores AWS Bottlerocket, a secure operating system designed for container hosting. It tests how Bottlerocket defends against common container escape techniques, demonstrating its effective security measures compared to less hardened systems like Ubuntu.

The article explores security vulnerabilities in AWS EKS by deploying misconfigured Kubernetes pods. It demonstrates how an attacker can escape from a compromised pod to gain root access on the host and potentially access other services. The focus is on the implications of specific dangerous configurations and their exploitation.

This article explains how to use the AWS Secrets Manager Agent as a sidecar container in Amazon EKS. It details the benefits of caching secrets locally to reduce API calls and enhance application security. The post also covers the deployment steps, prerequisites, and IAM role configuration required for setup.

Amazon EKS and EKS Distro now support Kubernetes version 1.35, which includes features like In-Place Pod Resource Updates and PreferSameNode Traffic Distribution. Users can create new clusters or upgrade existing ones to this version through various tools. The update is available in all AWS regions, including GovCloud.

Efficient management of inter-AZ traffic in AWS Kubernetes workloads is essential for performance and cost savings, as data transfer incurs charges. Cilium, utilizing eBPF technology, provides solutions like topology-aware routing and advanced IPAM to minimize these costs while enhancing network visibility and control. Implementing Cilium can lead to significant savings on AWS data transfer by optimizing traffic routing within the same Availability Zone.

Airbnb has successfully implemented a distributed database cluster on Kubernetes to achieve high availability and scalability, overcoming challenges associated with stateful services. By utilizing custom Kubernetes operators, AWS EBS, and deploying across multiple availability zones, they have enhanced reliability while managing the complexities of node replacements and upgrades. Their approach showcases the potential of open-source databases in cloud environments, achieving 99.95% availability with substantial data handling capabilities.

Wefox Italy has transitioned to a multi-tenant Software as a Service (SaaS) model using Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) to enhance application deployment and management. This solution incorporates GitOps practices, Terraform for infrastructure management, and a dual-cluster architecture to ensure robust data isolation and operational efficiency. Key benefits include improved security, tenant isolation, and cost efficiency through automated processes and shared services.

Amazon has launched the EKS Dashboard, a tool that provides centralized visibility for Kubernetes clusters across multiple AWS Regions and accounts. This dashboard allows users to monitor cluster inventory, assess compliance, and manage operational tasks through a unified interface, simplifying the management of distributed Kubernetes environments. It also supports visibility for connected clusters outside of Amazon EKS, facilitating hybrid and multi-cloud operations.

Organizations face the challenge of integrating real-time streaming analytics with traditional batch processing in a cost-effective manner. Fresha has developed a sophisticated Data Lakehouse platform on AWS, utilizing tools like Apache Paimon and StarRocks, which combines the advantages of data lakes and data warehouses to create a scalable, secure infrastructure for analytics. Their architecture includes advanced Kubernetes orchestration and cross-account secret management, enabling efficient data operations and innovation.

Dacadoo successfully transformed its API service from a virtual machine to a Kubernetes-based architecture and finally to a fully serverless solution on AWS, achieving a remarkable 78% reduction in cloud costs and significantly lowering operational maintenance efforts. The transition enhanced scalability, availability, and automation, while complying with regulatory requirements for sensitive health data. This journey highlights the benefits of adopting managed services and modern cloud technologies.

Pinterest's Big Data Platform team has developed Moka, a next-generation data processing platform deployed on AWS Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS). The article outlines Moka's infrastructure, including its logging and observability strategies, which leverage tools like Fluent Bit for log management and Prometheus for metrics storage and monitoring. Key learnings and future directions for Moka's development are also discussed.

Amazon EKS and Amazon EKS Distro now support Kubernetes version 1.34, featuring new security enhancements, improved resource management, and prioritized device requirements for better workload scheduling. Users can create new clusters or upgrade existing ones to this version through various interfaces. The update is available in all AWS Regions, including GovCloud.

Migrating Amazon EKS from version 1.29 to 1.32 involved careful planning and execution, focusing on upgrading Terraform modules, transitioning to Amazon Linux 2023, and implementing a blue/green deployment strategy to minimize downtime. The process highlighted the importance of addressing breaking changes, updating add-ons, and validating instance types to ensure a smooth upgrade across four clusters. Overall, the upgrade was completed in two weeks with minimal disruptions and enhanced security and performance.

Coinbase migrated 3,500 services from EC2 to Amazon EKS and AWS Graviton to enhance scalability and reduce costs. This modernization included transitioning to Karpenter for dynamic node provisioning, leading to significant infrastructure savings and improved performance.